Wednesday, May 3, 2017

NYC Radio: Joe Piscopo Decides Against Run As NJ Governor

WNYM 970 AM and Comedian Joe Piscopo will not be running for New Jersey governor, the “Saturday Night Live” alumnus announced during his radio show Wednesday.

Piscopo, who had considered entering the race as an independent, said he doesn’t want to be a divider. He instead is endorsing Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno ahead of the June 6 primary election.

An ambassador for the Boys and Girls Club of New Jersey with five kids of his own, Piscopo previously said he was driven to run for the next generation.

The 65-year-old New Jersey native gained fame in the 1980s as a member of the “SNL” cast, impersonating Hoboken-born Frank Sinatra and former late-night host Dave Letterman.

"We are going to support Kim," Piscopo told NJ Advance Media on Wednesday shortly before going on his morning radio show on 970-AM to make the announcement.

Guadagno had made a pilgrimage to Piscopo's home on Saturday and asked for a sit-down, promising to address his concerns in her campaign if he would agree not to divide the party, Piscopo said.

On Wednesday, Piscopo appeared with Guadagno in tow at a remote broadcast of his radio show at a Salem Broadcasting breakfast in Paramus. After months of flirting with an independent run, Piscopo said that "with a heavy heart" he'd decided not to. However, he quickly added that he would support the lieutenant governor after she'd agreed to adopt many of his initiatives.